


Radiance

by handelgamer



Series: Shaded - XIVWrite2019 [19]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Cutscene Rewrite, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-10-24 13:55:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20707115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/handelgamer/pseuds/handelgamer
Summary: Y'sthola says something off-kilter, and Syngigeim is acting off-kilter. Why?





	Radiance

With Syngigeim and Q’hara fending off any stray beasts that would dare attack them, the Scions, and Emet-Selch, made their way to Fort Gohn. Where one might have expected any sort of construction within the past two years, the Fort looked relatively untouched, with burnt beams and torn walls. And this was after Urianger reassured the group that Y’sthola, or Master Matoya, as she evidently now went by, was helping to rebuild it.

Q’hara heard the Elezen mutter quizzically at this. “Mayhap Y’sthola sought shelter elsewhere. Come, let us quit this place.”

It was just then that Q’hara barely heard the sound of footsteps rushing towards them. “Now! Surround them!” A voice cried out. And then a flurry of footsteps, and the sounds of bowstrings being pulled as people...a mix of Elf, (Duskwights even, though maybe the First didn’t have such distinctions as in the Source) Darhn, and Ronso appeared. The majority seemed to be wielding bows and some had staffs. Mages and archers. But above all, there were far, far too many for them to contend with, if they were even going to fight. The group raised their hands in surrender.

Even still, their leader, a white furred with black stripped Ronso, seemed confused. “These sin-eaters! They’re not like the others!”

“There’s a reason for that. Lower your weapons, please. We mean you no harm,” Thancred said.

It was then that a Mystal woman strode up beside Ronso. A Mystal woman with purple hair and light blue eyes and an astrolobe in her hands.

“Kaen! Kaen! Thank the Twelve!” Q’hara said. “Please can you clear this up? We’re your friends right?”

A mutter came across the assailing crowd and suddenly Q’hara realized he probably just called Kaen by her “true” name if she had any time with the Night’s Blessed. Which he was guessing this might be. Hopefully. _Bugger_.

“Is this your beloved?” the Ronso asked her.

Kaen seemed to shudder at the mere thought of that. “No, but I do know him. Of course it would be you making the faux pas, Q’hara.”

“W-what of the others?” A nervous-looking Elf asked up. “Master Matoya was certain about a sin-eater.”

“Compatriots and allies of mine and Master Matoya. Except...” Her eyes fell on Emet-Selch. “You I do not know. Who is he?”

Q’hara heard Syngigeim mutter “oh boy” under her breath and seemed to be ready to start saying something. Unfortunately, Emet-Selch spoke up first. “Oh, trust me when I say I will not be sticking around much longer.” He then directed his words to Syngigeim. “I had hope we would have come to an understanding but it seems you seem to have more of a knack for infuriating the natives.” Syngigeim’s expression twitched in anger but he continued undeterred. “You have committed the sin of _boring me._ And so I retire to the shade.” He then gave her a smirk and said, “Good luck,” before promptly vanishing as an Ascian does.

“There! Did you see that one disappear?” The nervous Elf spoke up again.

Both Thancred and Syngigeim gave identical grunts of exasperation and frustration. “I think I preferred Lahabrea,” Thancred muttered.

Q’hara heard the sound of some sort of heels hitting on stone and a familiar, sharp voice shouted out, “Enough. Runar, Serah, report.”

Of course, Kaen would have taken her mother’s name. Q’hara should have figured that one out. She and the Ronso, evidently named Runar, turned around and addressed the approaching figure, calling her “Master Matoya.” Q’hara knew better as Y’sthola, now dressed in a flowing black dress. She...well, she looked good. Not that Q’hara would say that right at the moment, he did enough damage already. “We apprehended them as ordered but...they don’t look like Sin-Eaters and Serah seems to know them.”

“ It is our friends and allies. Syngigeim, Q’hara, Thancred, Urianger and the new Minfilia I assume,” Kaen said, nodding to each of them in turn. Y’sthola seemed surprised and aghast at that. “I do not doubt what you said, I could tell something was troubling you about the aether,” Kaen continued. “Is something the matter? Can you still sense the disturbance?”

“I can. Only one sort of creature is sufficed with such light.” Her eyes, purest white and blind to normal sight, were still on Syngigeim, “Which makes it passing strange that something like that is in the company of people who’s aether I recognize.”

“ Mine apologies Master Matoya, but thou art mistaken. Before thee standeth our dearest comrade, the truest hero among us,” Urianger spoke up and said. “Though Syngigeim hath but recently arrived in the First, her and thine compatriots have slain not one but  _two_ Lightwardens by their puissant hands.”

At that, Y’sthola was taken aback and looked genuinely shocked. “It- it can not be!”

Q’hara spotted Syngigeim seemingly flex her fingers and look down at the ground a bit. Was she genuinely upset that Y’sthola did not recognize her? They didn’t seem that particularly close,  Syngigeim preferring other company in the Scions than the sometimes too harsh Y’sthola . But then she looked back up, and gave a little smile as she said “It’s been too long…clearly.”

“Oh, Syngi! That one was a bad pun. A horrid one! Too soon!” Q’hara exclaimed, not helping but to crack a grin at that.

“Oh bugger, that was a pun. Augh. Trust me when I say that wasn’t mine intent.” Syngigeim  said, looking a bit flustered.

Meanwhile, Y’sthola was rapping her fist up against her cheek, seemingly ignoring the banter as she was thinking about something. “Master Matoya?” Runar asked after her.

“Lower your weapons.” She then finally said, her voice seemingly filled with some distress. Thankfully, the members of the Night’s Blessed complied. “Forgive us this hostile welcome. Come, I would give you a proper introduction to Rak’tika and its people.” The remaining members of the Blessed walked off, leaving Y’sthola to guide the Scions to her new home.

–

The Scions began their business within Rak’tika, seeking the way into the ancient ruins of Ronka. In between doing odds and ends for the members of the tribe, Q’hara, Syngigeim and Kaen assisted Y’sthola on her efforts on deciphering the tablet the Exarch gave her. Though now they were to rest a bit and partake of Runar’s stew.

“I’m a bit of a cook myself, so I am highly curious as to your skill,” Syngigeim said to Runar with actual enthusiasm. Much of Syngigeim’s behavior had been a bit distant, from everyone, so he was happy to see some sort  of actual joy.

“ Tis nothing too especially special,” Runar said. “Though I am interested to see what an outsider will think of it. But...”

“Something wrong?” Syngigeim asked.

“The others on patrol should have returned by now. Our food will be overcooked if we wait any longer. We will just have to start without them. Would you call Master Matoya and the others?”

“I’ll do it! You two chefs look after the food okay.” Q’hara suddenly said, walking on over to Y’sthola’s study.  _What the hells was keeping Syngigeim down lately? _ Q’hara wondered.  _She had been anxious ever since Alphinaud left for Garlemald but now something else seemed weighing on her. Hells she even broke up with her wife an-_

“I tire of these games, Urianger. Why do you pretend you cannot see it?!” Q’hara suddenly heard Y’sthola say just as he got to her door. “ The blessing may spare her the fate of becoming a Lightwarden but you can not be blind to the nascent corruption! She is not as she was in the Source.”

_What?!_ Q’hara leaned in close to the door, putting his left ear up against it. He heard no noises, save for the beating of his own heart, for a few terse painful moments before Y’sthola started back up again.

“Though I have no proof, I fear that the light which poured forth from the Wardens was not negated at all. I fear it has been  _absorbed_ – that she has been suffused with their light.”

_That...would explain a lot about her behavior, if she was somehow aware of this._ A stark terror gripped Q’hara’s heart.  _Wait, then her using Eos on Titania’s light and claiming that she was using that to release the aether back to the earth was a lie?! Why would she do-_

“Though I have given thought to such possibility, I dare not speak until more is known,” Urianger said.

He heard Y’sthola scoff at that. “By the time you deign to enlighten us, it may be too late – if it is not already.”

Q’hara flexed his hand into a fist and glanced on back at Syngigeim as he over heard Y’sthola’s response. “Urianger – I know full well, after all these years, that you have only the best of intentions. But that does not make it any easier to put my faith in such a man so infatuated with secrecy. I have had my suspicions ever since the Exarch bade you speak that day, but now I must ask.” Q’hara turned  to look at the door, taking care to hear. “The Eighth Umbral Calamity and all that followed; everything you have claimed to have seen – did you?”

The moments seemed agonizing as Q’hara heard nothing from Urianger and just as he tried to shuffle in closer, he heard a cry for help. “The Eulmorans have come for us! We’re under attack!”

Gods be good, why did this have to happen now?  _Because that be how the world works. Always another issue to distract._ He would just have to table this for after they deal with Rak’tika and its Lightwarden.

**Author's Note:**

> Can you tell that this reveal FUCKED ME UP!? And it was all I could think for the rest of the Rak'tika arc?
> 
> So yeah, I immediately headcanoned that my main WoL, Syngigeim, would have known this all along. Red Mage and Scholar yo, she would know her aether. But would she tell anyone? HELL NO. She gotta be the Warrior of Darkness everyone needs her to be!
> 
> The fun bit of having many OC's at once is figuring out the reactions and the how and the why the main MSQ affects them. And Shadowbringers has been a goldmine for all of this.
> 
> Also I like rewriting cutscenes, good practice.


End file.
